Treatment of pseudoxanthoma elasticum-like papillary dermal elastolysis with nonablative fractional resurfacing laser resulting in clinical and histologic improvement in elastin and collagen

ABSTRACT

Objective: Pseudoxanthoma elasticum-like papillary dermal elastolysis (PXE-PDE) is a rare skin condition seen predominantly in elderly females. These asymptomatic lesions are brought to the dermatologist’s attention due to patient’s displeasure in their appearance. We report a case of a 28-year-old female with PXE-PDE on the right neck treated with nonablative fractional resurfacing (NAFR). Case: The patient on examination had yellow-to-skin-colored papules that coalesced into a cobblestone-appearing plaque on her lateral neck. The area was treated with NAFR to improve texture and cosmesis. After three treatments, the patient noted at least a 50% improvement of appearance and texture in the affected skin. Adverse effects were mild without development of serious side effects, such as scarring and/or permanent dyspigmenation. Conclusion: Established therapies for elastin disorders like PXE-PDE have yielded unsatisfactory results by patient and clinician standards. Positive results with NAFR, illustrated in our PXE-PDE case, further provides a role for NAFR in elastin disorders.

KEYWORDS:

• Elastin
• NAFR
• PXE-PDE
• PXE-PDE treatment

Acknowledgments

We want to thank our staff in providing us with the help and support during this case

Declaration of Interest

We the authors do not have any conflicts of interest to report. All authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest with no conflicts to report.